blitz-dice
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2010
- Posts
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- 12
thank god for Rockbox, we can drag and drop our FLAC files now
No, I litterally mean that the iPod is better than those players in several key areas. Firstly, iPods hiss less than cowons or Sony's. They also have little to NO bass roll off (something no cowon this side of 2006 has been able to do), much wider stereo separation under load and less tendency to boom. I litterally mean that unless you tweak the Cowon, you aren't getting anything special.
In other words, if all you like in your music is EQ and effects, both platforms aren't up to the level of the iPod in terms of playing music as it is recorded. Sony models tend to have a mix: some drop off the bass, others add to it, so that there is no neutral point.
Of course, if you like warmer sounding players, Sony is better. But literally, I am saying that the iPod is better than Cowon or Sony for realistic sound performance and in that, sound quality. Where sony excels is adding warmth - that is their key. Cowon excel with special effects, but those effects don't mean they sound better in any technical sense, those effects just make their sound more pleasing to SOME people. More pleasing and better are two very different things.
I have made the measurements to back this up. The iPod Touch 3G, is capable of more accurate performance than the recent Cowon I tested right next to it. I can't argue if someone prefers Cowon's EQ options over an iPod. But there's no question which player has the better engineered signal path. Even the much cheaper Sansa Clip+ has much better bass frequency response than the Cowon. Look for an upcoming review of the Cowon (and Clip+) on my blog where you can see the data side-by-side with the iPod's.
The ipod is genius and produces a sound quality that exceeds any equivalent that came before it. ...
I've enjoyed reading your blog today, especially the problems with RMAA. Indeed, there is no great way to make sure that different sources have tested under same circumstances, or the device under optimal settings. I always put disclaimer that my humble Edirol FA66 is in charge of measurements, and that the device was firest tested with square waves and volume matched at its peak performance before getting on with the tests. RMAA is useful as a general aide to testing overall performance, and thanks its price, is an incredible tool.
I have made the measurements to back this up. The iPod Touch 3G, is capable of more accurate performance than the recent Cowon I tested right next to it. I can't argue if someone prefers Cowon's EQ options over an iPod. But there's no question which player has the better engineered signal path. Even the much cheaper Sansa Clip+ has much better bass frequency response than the Cowon. Look for an upcoming review of the Cowon (and Clip+) on my blog where you can see the data side-by-side with the iPod's.
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed my blog. I just posted a very detailed review of the Clip+ vs the iPod Touch 3G and also compare RMAA measurements to those made with the dScope audio analyzer. I also tried to provide some background into the measurements, what's likely audible, and what likely is't.
With RMAA there are many things to watch out for, but used properly, it can often yield fairly decent results. The problem is, from what I've seen on the web, it's rarely used properly.